The New Indian Express ·
Arts, culture, entertainment and media
SC gives Rajpal Yadav final chance to deposit Rs 2 crore in cheque bounce cases
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav a final two-week opportunity to submit a concrete proposal to pay the outstanding amount to a private firm and directed him to deposit Rs 2 crore with the apex court registry.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing Yadav's plea against a Delhi High Court order upholding his conviction in multiple cheque-bounce cases.
The bench extended his exemption from surrendering until October 5, directed him to deposit Rs 2 crore within two weeks and surrender his passport.
"He is perfect at doing drama but not in this court. Earlier orders of the court have not been complied with. Your conduct does not inspire confidence," the CJI observed.
Senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for Yadav, said the actor was willing to settle the dispute and would place a concrete payment plan on record. He said Yadav had already spent four-and-a-half months in prison in the case and had earlier received financial help from friends in the entertainment industry.
Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, appearing for complainant M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, said Yadav had not honoured his commitments for more than 15 years.
The dispute dates back to 2010, when the complainant firm allegedly provided Rs 5 crore in financial assistance to Yadav for his directorial debut film Ata Pata Lapata. According to the complainant, Yadav, his wife and their company agreed in 2012 to repay Rs 11 crore, including interest. In 2013, Yadav issued seven cheques of Rs 1.05 crore each, which were dishonoured.
A magistrate court convicted Yadav in 2018 and sentenced him to six months in jail. The sessions court later reduced the sentence to three months. On July 10 this year, the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction and three-month sentence.
On September 8, the Supreme Court issued notice and granted Yadav exemption from surrendering, subject to a Rs 5 crore deposit with the registry.
The matter will next be heard on October 5.
